Biometrics is emerging as the most foolproof method of automated personal identification in demand in an ever more automated world. Biometric systems are automated methods of verifying or recognizing the identity of a living person on the basis of some physiological characteristic, like a fingerprint or iris pattern, or some aspect of behavior, like handwriting or keystroke patterns. This paper describes the range of biometric systems in development or on the market including: handwriting; fingerprints; iris patterns; human faces; and speech.